Abram left a legacy of a Godly transition. He left a life of idolatry and allowed God to guide His faith journey. The Tower of Babel is the Bible story that immediately precedes the call of Abram. In that story, the people wanted to leave a legacy of a great city and tower for future generations. Genesis 11: 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous.[1] As they said, “let us build,” we can see that they were depending on themselves and leaving God out of the picture.
In contrast, God initiated a blessing to Abraham that would be his legacy to future generations. Genesis 12: 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” [2]
God’s Promise
God began by telling Abram, “I will make you” which indicates that this is God’s idea and His power to act. The Hebrew Word translated here is ʿasah’ which means to accomplish, make, produce, or act with effect. [3] Abram won’t be able to do this on his own; only God can do it.
The blessings come as God makes Abram a great nation, and as a result, Abram’s name will be known. This will happen so that others can be blessed. In fact, God will bless the whole earth through Abram. Christ will be the blessing that comes through the line of Abram to bless the world.
Paul explains this ultimate blessing. Galatians 3: 8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. [4] Through Christ, God blesses us to be a blessing just like Abram.
The Blessing of New Life
As we follow Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit gives us a new life. Titus 3: 4 When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[5] It is the power of God Himself who enables this transition; we can’t do this on our own. By His grace, He transforms us into something entirely new, not just improved versions of ourselves.
Embracing new life in Christ means looking ahead with anticipation and faith in God’s plans for us. As believers, we are to have a legacy of blessing others. God gives each of us gifts so that we can help build His kingdom and give Him the glory. Too often, as sinful people, we desire to use our gifts to build our own kingdom, just like the people at the Tower of Babel. Anything on this earth is only temporary. However, God’s kingdom is eternal. Let us leave a legacy of a Godly transition to a new life of hope. To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/when-god-says-go
[1,2,4,5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.